AWS funding bursary course to support local data centre workforce

​Amazon Web Services (AWS) has made a commitment to reducing the yawning skills gap in the data centre industry.

The global giant has partnered with the Institute of Technology Tallaght in Ireland to help local talent pursue a career in technology.

AWS is funding a bursary programme for 20 students to develop skills in the latest cloud technologies and become equipped with the necessary knowledge to install, configure, maintain, secure, and repair a data centre’s hardware and networking systems.

The company is also collaborating with IT Tallaght to advise and support the development of course material, as well as helping to deliver practical training for the students such as providing industry experts for specialist lecture and lab sessions.

And finally, during the programme the students will have the opportunity to apply for paid internships at AWS’ data centres in Ireland giving students the ability to work at a local AWS data centre in Ireland, apply their newly learned skills, and gain additional work experience that will make them highly desirable candidates in the industry.

“The future of Ireland, and South Dublin region, relies heavily on our continued production of high-quality graduates capable of undertaking life-long learning in a knowledge-based society, and the new Data Center Technical Training Programme is a great example of this,” says IT Tallaght president Thomas Stone.

“Working with a global cloud leader, such as AWS, will give students in the Tallaght community, and across Dublin, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain 21st century knowledge and the skills needed to secure in-demand jobs, and build a career path for the future. We couldn’t be more excited to have the leadership and expertise of AWS to help us create this programme, the first Amazon cloud computing programme of its kind in Ireland.”

Minister of Education and Skills Richard Bruton says the new programme is a testament to the country’s talent.

“This partnership between IT Tallaght and Amazon Web Services is reflective of the kind of strong employer supported training that we are developing as part of the Government’s Action Plan for Education, which sets out our ambition to make Ireland’s education and training service the best in Europe by 2026,” says Bruton.

“Data centres are a key driver of the digital economy and with more and more data moving to the cloud, they are increasing in their prevalence and importance. The ability to support data centre development is key to the promotion of Ireland as a destination for wider investment by international technology firms.”

AWS Ireland director of human resources Mike Beary says the company is excited to support the development of the talented workforce.

“This unique collaboration with a great educational institution right in our own backyard provides an opportunity for individuals to jump-start a new career and build a future in technology. This new project is just one of the many ways AWS is deepening our investment in the Irish economy through our local corporate offices, cloud infrastructure, and the continued support of local businesses innovating on AWS,” says Beary.

“IT Tallaght was the first College in Ireland to become an accredited AWS Academy, and we can’t wait to see what students will accomplish through this new collaboration with an institution that stands to support the advancement of economic development of its local area.”